I would like to take this opportunity to respectfully express my sympathy to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
It is my sincere wish that this country, which has been hit by an unprecedented disaster, will rebuild itself as soon as possible based on a vision of a new Japan.
In the spring of 1983, on very short notice I was entrusted with substantive administrative duties as the acting president when the senior managing director, who was my predecessor’s (father’s) right-hand man and central to administration, fell ill. Since then, nearly 30 years have already passed. I have summarized that time as I recall it, remembering instances of trial and error, and hard struggles.
Amid the drastically changing world battling the second oil crisis and first yen appreciation, our company was also hammered by significant transition. Troubled over numerous issues due to the sudden changes, nearly all the executives, including myself, were replaced with young individuals in their 30s. We continued endeavoring to cultivate young candidates for executive positions and appoint them as directors.
Looking back now, it was a very risky, almost fruitless action, but we threw ourselves into the work. However, the busier we were, the more I felt a kind of emptiness and sensed a need for emotional support. I defined my own thoughts and ideas at that time as principles of conduct, “four attitudes of ingenuity, enthusiasm, action, and independence.”
“Through unceasing ingenuity, unrivaled enthusiasm, and aggressive action, we will take on new possibilities to create the future with our own talents.”
Our company is somewhat unique compared to small and medium-sized electric wire manufacturers in the same industry.
We manufacture and sell products of various types in various fields. Our products are related to electric wires and range from power cables to thin electric wires for equipment, as well as all kinds of processed goods derived from electric wires. We are an aggregate of four operating divisions that differ in product types, business operation, production systems, and factories. Strengths are scattered in the limited management resources of a small-to-mid-sized company, and we worried about which to make central and the direction in which to proceed. Believing that our company needed a broad orientation, our fundamental policies have been defined over several years.
Using “unique products” that only we can create, or that are a step or two ahead of the competition, we decided to focus on “safety, environment, and high functionality” in lifestyles, and set our sights on becoming a company that contributes to society.
Thanks to the four attitudes that provide emotional support and the company-determined broad orientation, we have worked for nearly 20 years–many of those years hindered by deficit products–on numerous items, including an anti-tracking plug helpful in fire prevention, environmentally friendly solar cell wiring components, and various other products we developed. We have been able to approach our work with unwavering determination and patience.
We also decided to enter China with the first yen appreciation of 1985, just after the Tiananmen Square Incident and ahead of other companies, under full ownership of capital. Though there was a string of unanticipated incidents and various trying difficulties at the start of the expansion, we were able to conduct a second and third overseas expansion due to the enthusiastic sense of responsibility of those who paved the way. I am extremely grateful for their accomplishments.
Our company was able to celebrate 88 years in business this year, an achievement very much due to the patronage and loyalty of our clients, and we are sincerely thankful to our suppliers for their support.
We will continue to value our ideas and advance one step at a time, at a pace in tune with our strengths while finding our way through trial and error, and even occasional failure. We aim to celebrate 90 years, and then 100 years in business–and on into future generations.